Front control hood latch



Oct. 14, 1941. R. HILL FRONT CONTROL HOOD LATCH 2 sheets-.sht 1 FiledMarch 23, 1939 'fm/Wma en/alza? 1727/ y @JJM M Oct. 14, 1941. R- v2,258,680 FRONT CONTROL HOOD LATCH Filed March 23, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet?5. wm R 8 fm fu 1 z ma E e o 354-11 W H. W L11 j I d A 7 i. :n n mk WwUM DI 8 a W f Jl (M 4 44 2 a J 2 7 s@ www 9 u.. .z mi l i L: l w. 0m m mIII l. w l m mm f/v Wav 3 M m 9. 3/ QN 7 4 4 4 7 Patented Oct. 14, .1941

FRONT 'CONTROL HOOD LATCH Rowland Hill, Chicago, Ill., assignor toChicago Forging & Manufacturing Company,

Chicago,

Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application March 23, 1939, serial No..263,650

1 Claim.

My invention relates to an improvement in latches and has for onepurpose theprovision of an improved latch for the closure of anautomobile hood.

Another purpose is the provision of a latch assembly which shall becompact, easy to manufacture, and eiiicient in use. y

Another purpose is the provision of improved latch means wherein theexterior operating handle is located in the front of an automobile hoodor grille and may for example constitute or have associated with it anornamental insignia, shield, or the like.

Another purpose is proved actuating connection and exterior handle.

Another purpose is the provision of a latch and supporting meanstherefor which may be secured to or supported on the vgrille of theautomobile, the exterior handle being also `mounted on the grille. I

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course ofthespeciiication and claim.

I illustrate my invention more or lessdiagrammatically in theaccompanying `drawings where- Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig, 1.

Like parts are indicated lby like characters throughout the specicationand drawings.

Referring to the drawings, and for-example to Fig. 1 and following, Igenerally indicates 'an automobile hood closure is preferablytransversely and horizontally hinged at its rear end, the details of thehinge being not herein indicated, as they do not of themselves form partof. the present invention. It will be realized that the hinging meansVmay constitute a single fixed axis, or any suitable multiplestructuremay be employed in yaccordance with current practise.

Associated with the closure 2, I illustrate any suitable grillegenerally indicated as.3, which includes a generally horizontal typeilange 4, a central downwardly extending portion 5, the

the provision of an imbetween the latch upper portion of the member 5`being inwardly offset as at 6. 1 are any suitable individual grilleelements.

Adjustably secured to the top ange 4 of the grille is a transverselyextending generally horizontal supporting and latch aligning plate 8,which is provided with an aperture B, the edges of which may bedownwardly turned or flanged and 2 a vclosure therefor. The

as at I0. Said flange includes a forward inclined portion I I, thepurpose of which will later appear.

Any suitable bracketsk I2 may be mounted on the plate 8, each suchbracket ending in a forwardly extending ear I3 and being reinforced by achannel offset as at I4. The brackets are connected by a rear wallIZ-afwhich servesas a stop for the latch below described. Pivotedbetween the ears I3 is a latch structure generally indicated at I5,including transversely extending back member I6, a latch or nose I1, anda limit offset I8 adapted to engage the flange Il) and to limit themovement of the latch I1 towardlocking position. y

I9 is a downward lever extension of the latch below the pivots 20thereof. 'It is slotted at its lower end as at 2| to receive anactuating rod 22, upon which are arcuate engaging abutments 23, 24.These, taken in connection with the slot 2|, permit the latch structureto rotate about its axis at 2U in response to a rectilinear movement ofthe rod 22 without any clamping or binding. The rod 22 in turn is guidedin a bracket 25, secured to the grille member 5.

The bracket has a forward bearing sleeve 25-a unitary therewith, and arear flange 25-b apertured to Vpermit the passage of the rod 22. Thesleeve 25-a and the aperture 26 of the flange 25-b constitute a pair ofvspaced guiding bearings.

21 indicates a plate secured to the enlarged inner end or portion 28 ofn the rod 22. Any suitable insigniaor shield 29 may be secured,`thereto. One or moreadditional guiding pins` 30 extend rearwardly fromthe plate 21 through' any suitable aperture or apertures 3I in themember 6. 'l s A spring 32 is coiled about the rod 22 and is compressedbetween the flange 25-b `and the abutment 23; 33 is a limitingpin at theinner end of the rod 22 and adapted to limitthe expansion of the spring3| by limiting the outward movement of the abutment24, the .lever I9 andthe abutment 23 along th-e rod 22. Thus, the expansion of the spring 32normally holds the handle plate 21 in the position in which it is shownin Fig. l, and` normally thrusts `the latch I1 .into the latchedposition in which it is shown in Fig. 1. The operator, by inserting hisfingers beneath the upper portion of the plate 21 .and linto the space,between it and the rearwardly curved member 6 can grasp the handle plate21 I and move the rod 22 rectilinearly outwardly. The result is tocompress the spring 32 and positively to move the latch |5, about thepivot 2U, into released position.

Mounted on the closure 2 is any suitable transversely extending keeperplate 40. It is preferably adjustably mounted and may be screwed to thelower side of the closure 2 in any suitable manner. It may carry astirrup or keeper 4|, herein shown as a U-shaped member with roundedcorners 42. This member is adjustably secured on the plate 4l] by anysuitable locknuts 43. Guided for movement on the vertical arms of thestirrup 4| is a thrust plate 44 further guided by a pin 45 passingthrough an upwardlyguiding yoke 45.

41 is any suitable spring tending normally to thrust the plate 44downwardly along the stirrup 4| and against the upper surface of thelower plate 8. It will be understood that the tendency of the spring 4lis, in the rst place, to prevent rattling of the parts, and in thesecond place to tend to hold the closure 2 slightly upwardly from thehood in the event that the -latching means are released.

The parts are preferably so `adjusted that the transversely extendingbottom portion of the stirrup il may be overridden by the latch nose thelatched position of the parts being illustrated in Fig. 1. v

A supplemental safety 'lock is also provided in a form of a hook 50pivoted as at 5| to ears v52 downwardly oiset from the plate 4). 53 is ahandle portion therefonso located that after the closure 2 has beenslightly lifted, the operator can insert his iingers and engage themember 53 and thereby rotate the hook 50 into inoperative position. If`the closure 2 is raised, by wind pressure or otherwise, hook 50 willengage the flange of the lower plate 8 as at 8 8, and further upwardmovement of closure 2 will be prevented. A spring 54 normally holds thehook 5E in operative position as illustrated in Fig. 1. l

It will be realizedthat whereas I have'described and illustrated apractical yand operative device, nevertheless many changes may be madein the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departingfrom the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description anddrawings to be taken as in a broadsense illustrative or diagrammatic,rather than as limiting me to` my precise showing.

Theuse and operation of my invention are as follows I I provide acompactancl efficient latch assemblywhich includes the latch or nosecontrolled .by the outside handle 2T and the safety latch 50. In Fig. 1the parts are shown in closed position, with the latch or nose |7engaging the bottom of the stirrup 4|. The latch 50 is held by thespring 54 in vertical the flange 8a of theplate 3, but is not performinga function, when the-parts are in the position of Fig. l. A Y Y When theoperator wishes to open thehood, he puts hisngers behind the upper edgeoi" the plate 2l' and pulls the plate forwardly. This moves the rod 22in its xed axis and rotates the lever I9, thereby moving the nose orlatch into inoperative position and releasing the stirrup 4|. The spring41 tends to lift the closure 2 slightly. In any event, the operatorinserts his hand under the forward edge of the hood closure and engagesalignment with where a compound hinge is the handle 53 of the latch 5D.Thereafter, in response to a unitary upward lifting movement of thehand, the latch 50 is moved to inoperative position and the hood closureis raised, and may be held in raised position by any suitable means. Assoon as the operator releases the handle 21, the spring 32 expands andreturns the latch to the latched position, the member I8 serving as astop vto limit further movement, by its engagement with the iiange I0.The operator, when he wishes to close the hood, may drop it in place,and the stirrup 4| will override the latch or nose As soon as it hascleared the bottom ofthe Ylatch then the spring 32 will be eiective tosnap the latch back into position. 'Ihe spring 54 holds the latch 50 atall times in eiective position unless the operator positively engagesthe handle 53 and rotates the latch 5D into unlatched position. Thus, iffor any reason the main latch is not properly engaged, the latch 5Userves as a safety latch which prevents more than aslight raising of the`closure 12. This is particularly advantageous, for instance where alling station operator fails completely to close the closure 2. Then,when the car begins to move, the wind pressure, which might otherwisetend to raise the closure', can only lift it as far as the latch 50 willpermit.

The inclined portion adjacent the aperture 9 of plate 8 is to permitclearance and guidance for thestirrup 45, which does not descend in avertically rectilinear course butin an arc, since it is rigidly mountedon a radiallymoving member, namely the hood closure.' It Ymay alsolbeeffective employed and, inother words, provide clearance and guidancefor the stirrup 4| when, as the closure 2 is moved into closingposition, the stirrup portion moves rearwardly as well as downwardly.

I claim:

In combination with an automobile hood having a front grille and ahoodclosure with a` downwardly extending combined keeper and centeringmember, a latch support mounted on the hood and apertured to receivesaidkeeper and centering member in guiding relationship, and means forholding said keeper and centering member against upward movement throughsaid aperture,

including a latch member mounted on said latch support for rotationabout a generally horizontal transverse axis,A said latch memberincluding a keeper engaging arm extending upwardlyabove said axis butlocated below `said aperture, and an actuating arm lextending below suchaxis, a handle exteriorly positioned at the forward end of the hood andon the front grille, located below the junction between the hoodl andthe hood closure, the grillel being recessed to the rear of the handlefor ready access of the hand to the handle, an vactuating rod rearwardlyextending from the handle, guiding means for the rod, a direct rockingconnection between a lower portion of the actuating-arm of the latch andaninner portion of the rod, yieldingmeans adapted normally toY rotatesaid latchtoward latching position, theupper arm of the latchincludingrv a nose adapted to interpenetrate with the keeper in lockingrelationship, and a cam portion adapted to be overridden by the keeper'when the keeper is moved downwardly toward locking position.

` ROWLAND HILL.

